As the most successful show in recent memory at Persephone Theatre draws to a close this week after being extended four times, the theatre is already in preparation for the second half of their 2018-19 season. Artistic director Del Surjik spoke with The StarPhoenix about the momentous way 2018 ended for the company and what’s in store for the new year.

A: It’s great for the morale of the organization and all the people that work here. People pour themselves into delivering the finest professional work onstage, so that’s a great piece of feedback for our community. And I say community because at least half of the cast in that show are Saskatchewan performers … it’s not a show that was brought in, as we sometimes do … that was created completely, originally, for Saskatoon. This is Saskatoon’s Fiddler on the Roof.

Q: After the first half of a varied season, what kind of response have you been getting from patrons?

A: This is one of the quotes that I love hearing, and I hear it regularly. It’s when people who subscribe come up to me and say “you know, I looked at the season, and I only recognized one or two names of plays. And I thought such and such is a play I probably wouldn’t be interested in. But you know what? When I came to see that play, it turned out to be my favourite for the whole season.” And I hear that again and again … that’s one of the real values of coming regularly. We do that work for you. We find that stuff that’s maybe not on your radar.

Q: What are some of the strengths you’ve seen at Persephone Theatre this fall, and what are some areas you hope to improve on?

A: There’s a world of people in Saskatoon that have yet to actually step through our doors and sit down in the theatre — for whatever reason. And I know if they took the opportunity we would have converts, because they get something special, they get something they can’t get with Netflix or other experiences … there’s a communal experience, and that is extraordinary.

I think what we do, is we also help professionals and theatre practitioners decide to stay and live in Saskatoon … it feels like every day we’re finding another way we can help other people deliver their theatre aspirations, whether it’s mentorship or production support or any number of things.

Q: What can you do to carry the success of the first half of the season into the second?

A: We’ve got some great things lined up — a very thoughtful mix put together for this current season … (The second half of the season) carries the same strengths that we’ve seen recent success and popular response to. And one of the principles of that is quality, well-written scripts with meaningful stories. That is at the core … and we talk about it deeply.

A: Really strong art is hitting the stage. Really well-executed, relevant, meaningful stories … they represent partnerships. They represent artists collaborating together, and it’s important that Saskatoon is seen as a national collaborator. I think that puts us on the map, and we do our part to put Saskatoon on the map … we’ve had a really consistent run of high-caliber theatre hit the stage, and we’re proud of that.

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